Handicraft Magazine by Nikki White

Find out about

SPRING 2014 £2

other crafters in your area

Includes beginner guide &

kids’ corner

rethink jewellery Jo Southall talks fashion & disability

Check out Handicraft’s own crafty tips

Contents & About Handicraft

Spring time is the season to start thinking about developing ideas for the upcoming craft season. Yet, if you’re a beginner, just like me, this is the perfect time to get some practice and experience under your belt before selling your creations. So far this season, I have tried knitting, sewing and drawing. Even though it was hard to begin with - remember that crafts make a great hobby whether you are experienced or not! Happy crafting,

Nikki

Jo Southall - pages 4 and 5

Contents

Jo Southall gives Handicraft an exclusive on how she mixes her crafty passion for jewellery with fashion and how she believes disabled people, like herself, should be included in the fashion world. Is handmade really ‘handmade’? - pages 14 and 15

Nikki White interviews Abi Jackson from the Stitch and Make studio and Sarah Peters and Sharon Morgan from the Made in Northamptonshire shop to find out whether businesses falsely claim that their products are handmade. Beginner guide to knitting - pages 24 to 27

Lidia Stanton shows you how to knit as a beginner, so get out those needles, yarn and that little bit of patience you’ve been storing away and learn. Kids’ corner - page 28 and 29

Want to pass the time with a little paper craft or spend quality time with your kids? Nikki White illustrates a step-by-step guide showing how to make an origami cowboy hat. Tips and Tricks - pages 30 and 31

After some crafty tips and tricks? Nikki White shows you five ways to make your craft materials or tools last longer. Why not check them out?

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Contributions

Do you have a story for the next issue of Handicraft or simply want to write and contribute to the magazine? Contact Handicraft using the methods above or why not email our editor?

Nikki White

whiten.2@hotmail.com

Acknowledgements Thank you to everyone who is featured in this season’s Handicraft magazine. A special thank you to Hilary Scott for help designing the magazine and Lidia Stanton for proof-reading.

Inspirational stories 04 Jo Southall crafts to help cope with her disability Jo Southall is a part-time student of Occupational Therapy at the University of Northampton. As a disabled person, she tries to use the distraction of crafting jewellery to help with the chronic pain of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Nikki White interviewed Jo Southall to find out more about her inspiring story behind jewellery making

o Southall, 23, helps cope with her disability of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome by simply crafting jewellery.

“I have also designed magnetic clasps. Although I use simple and childish designs, most people who have bought them find them fashionable.” Top to Bottom: Zip aids, a floral comb and many knitted bracelets

Photos of products courtesy of Jo Southall

Having started the hobby of crafting handmade jewellery back in July 2011, Jo tells us that she had always been a ‘crafty kid’ involved in creating jewellery. She commented: “The more I created things with beads, the more I found it entertaining and exciting.” With her disability, hyper mobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Jo has loose joints that easily dislocate and give her constant chronic fatigue and pain. To distract her from the discomfort of her disability she simply engages in crafting jewellery. Due to the amount of chronic pain Jo deals with, she soon found herself with the problem of owning too much jewellery, but came up with the solution of creating a Facebook page,

Inspirational stories

Jo Southall modelling the jewellery she has made including, necklaces and bracelets for her hobby, Purl Beads

Purl Beads, to re-home it all. Jo said:“I just made more jewellery than I could wear and it gave me a way of re-homing jewellery. Then people started asking for me to make personal items for them. These commissions is what gave me a purpose when my disability held me back.” Jo’s own experience of disability has given her the motivation to make other people’s disabilities more manageable using her talent in crafting jewellery. “I have designed zip aids, which is a metal key ring attached to a zip to help people with arthritis. I have also designed magnetic clasps. Although I use simple and childish designs, most people who have bought them find them fashionable.” Jo’s help to other disabled people

“...I strongly believe disabled people should be able to buy fashionable products that help them, like the zip aids I designed.”

hasn’t gone unnoticed. Jo commented on how she gets many people thanking her for creating just a simple item with effective use. “I have a friend with severe arthritis in her hands who was beyond grateful that I offered to make these for her. Then I thought “Why not offer them to the general public?” I strongly believe disabled people should be able to buy fashionable products that they can use to help them with their disability, like the zip aids I designed.” Jo likes to describe her hobby as “unique jewellery for unique people” and “not off the shelf and only comes in one colour.” Jo explains that how her hobby is not a profit-seeking enterprise but focuses on creating something personal, fashionable and helpful for everyone. “It’s about inspiration and not about money at all. I didn’t break even until after the first two years of crafting.” Because of this, Purl Beads is not an easy hobby to do as Jo crafts in between studies and on a budget.

“My advice to anyone interested in creating a craft business, or hobby, is to simply be patient. Be prepared to not make a profit. In other words make sure you can craft on a budget, and definitely make sure you are passionate about crafting because it can be quite time consuming.” Jo intends to carry on with crafting jewellery for Purl Beads in between her studies but she has aspirations to officially start her social enterprise later this year, after she graduates from the University of Northampton, along with inspirational plans to build on her hobby and offer craft lessons to local children. Jo has also expressed that she is thinking of expanding the line of jewellery she currently makes into fashionable and unique watches, with the idea to make the strap watch from scratch (using any material that the buyer wishes) but buying the watch face separately as it’s much more trickier to craft by hand. Jo Southall’s Facebook page for her hobby, Purl Beads, can be found at: facebook.com/PurlBeads

Crafts in your area

‘I look at jewellery from a fine art perspective’. Making metal-based jewellery in silver or bronze, Nadine started handcrafting in 2007. Nadine makes a wide range of jewellery from earrings to brooches, but commented that she sells more pendants than anything else. “Most women love wearing them, that’s why it is a safer bet. Rings need fitting, earrings need pierced ears – so pendants are a much more convenient choice.” Nadine defines her experience in making jewellery on her website as coming “from a fine art perspective”. In making her jewellery, Nadine employs traditional techniques on occasion but claims she is “more interested in the emotional and spiritual impact of each piece”. Her designs include a mix of flora, fauna and heart patterns. Her style reflects her interest in and the inspiration, which develops from the nature. Nadine comments on her website: “My work is mainly inspired from

A bird pendant designed and made by Nadine

encounters with the natural world. My holiday in Devon inspired the sea pieces, while the little birds and bees came from observing the vibrant wildlife in my little terraced garden.” Strangely though, Nadine uses untraditional methods of creating her jewellery and getting the design onto the metal. “Sometimes I use a rubber stamp but the most common way for me to get the design onto metal is to carve into a woodblock and create the image that way. “I can also chemical etch onto gilding metal and sheet silver. Or even use a stylus to draw directly into the metal clay. “However, on big bangles I hammer the design (which is called

repousse) with specialised tools to give a relief effect. Or lastly, I will simply engrave images

and texture onto a piece using an engraving head attached to a Dremel.” Nadine explains that these skills give her the motivation to constantly improve her method for crafting the jewellery she makes. Nadine commented: “For me, it is about learning new skills and making my work and myself better. I joined the Jewellery and Silver Society of Oxford (JASSO) in December and plan to take jewellery courses throughout the year.” Nadine explains that these methods aren’t conventional as some crafting techniques can take a nine-hour working day for the whole week,

A bird brooch designed and made by Nadine

which doesn’t include the time it takes to do the design planning. She commented: “As my shows approach, I will be working every day in the workshop. Most of these days will start around 9am and finish around 6pm. Right now, I have only just strated crafting jewellery as my crafting season started in April”. Nadine goes on to explain that for crafters certain periods in the year make more financial sense than others. “Craft people work with the season from August onward. Christmas is the focus of craft makers, and the impression we leave will define the year as a whole for most of us.” Her website is available at: www.themoonupabove.co.uk

All photos courtesy of Nadine Herrington Porter

adine Porter, a Northampton-based craftswoman, strives to create jewellery in an unconventional way.

Crafts in your area

What if fine art is just about creating a pretty picture for people to appreciate?

Art is more than just prestigious painting, as Phil Coates argues, instead it can just be simplistic - something for a person to enjoy or to match someone’s colour scheme. Nikki White interviews Phil Coates to find out more about his experience of what fine art is.

hil Coates, Northamptonbased artist and teacher of fine art, strongly believes that art is about more than the art world perceives it to be.

As a philosopher, Phil believes that art can be something more than just commercialism. He believes that art should be focused on creating a picture of something to be enjoyed. He argues that art is a “skill-based” craft and uses environmental context to give it a deeper meaning. Yet, the art world is “revolved around exhibitions and making money.”

“It’s important to focus on drawing and painting skills as a degree. In college, A Level art is very broad. The curriculum normally consists of studying the history of art, the profile of several artists, and gets the students to paint in their style. This means students don’t get the chance to develop their skills.” Phil has achieved two separate fine art degrees, one at the University of Northampton, which was solely based on making commercial art for exhibitions without development of drawing and art skills. “It’s important to focus on drawing and painting skills as a degree. In college, A Level art is very broad. The curriculum normally consists of studying the history of art, the profile of several artists, and gets the

Phil Coates, artist and teacher of art at the Portfolio Innovation Centre

“Once students realise they are required to produce art for commercial reasons, they start to believe that the only chance that painting could ever become their career is if they create a certain style that is attractive to art dealers and professionals in the art world.” students to paint in their style. This means students don’t get the chance to develop their skills.”

Phil argues that the lack of freedom in university courses adds to the need to produce art for commercial reasons and create a certain style that would be attractive to a group of people viewing an exhibition. “Once students realise they are required to produce art for commercial reasons, they start to believe that the only chance that painting could ever become their career is if they create a certain style that is attractive to art dealers and professionals in the art world. “Andy Worhol is a famous pop artist and, for example, his sketchbooks sell for a fortune because they belonged to someone who has a well-known and appreciated style.”

Crafts in your area “Ever since I’ve taken steps to become an artist, my visual perception has sharpened. I see the way that the light lands on objects, which part of it is shadow and which part of it isn’t.” Phil has always enjoyed the craft of painting, especially trees. He claims that painting shouldn’t have to rely on the art world to be something special. “My favourite subject when it comes to painting is trees. They don’t stand anywhere in the art world but that doesn’t matter. I enjoy them and if someone buys one of my paintings that is because they would enjoy it too. This is why I do portrait commissions for people who want a picture of themselves or a group of people they know to simply enjoy looking at it.” Phil Coates further believes that painting and drawing gives their own personal benefits to those who take it up as a hobby or craft. “Ever since I’ve taken steps to become an artist, my visual perception has sharpened. I see the way that the light lands on objects, which part of it is shadow and which part of it isn’t. I believe it is because of this that I appreciate what I see more.” Phil commented on how this is simply acquired through the act of drawing and practising. “You can simply experiment by drawing an object that is around your house on a piece of paper. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. See if you notice a difference in the quality of what you see in your everyday life.” Phil teaches students of all skill; he believes that everyone has the ability to draw and paint if they wished to practise it. He has been teaching for 25 years. Phil Coates has a website that offers information on the variety of courses and sessions: www.artclass.org.uk

Three examples of Phil Coates paintings picturing screenery and trees

Inspirational stories Auto-Circle Spectrum draws posters in hope to raise awareness of how Autism affect many peoples lives Stephanie Nixon

Stephanie Nixon, like Jo Southall, uses her craft to help other people with disabilities.

Stephanie Nixon, President of the Auto-Circle Spectrum Society, draws posters advertising the University of Northampton society to raise awareness of learning disabilities. Stephanie explains: “The drawings I have done for the Auto-Circle Spectrum Society help get people interested and raise awareness around the two campuses. “The posters help students understand what our society stands for: acceptance, tolerance and understanding. So, I use my craft of drawing to help communicate our message which raises the awareness of different disabilities.” Stephanie held a Disabled History Month exhibition last year. Although she was only able to hold the one exhibition, she plans on holding more in the next academic year. “The society is all about celebrating diversity of special needs on campus. Exhibitions give us a chance to do this. Although they are hard to organise I find it worth it. “Last exhibition we got a lot of interest through the use of the posters. Students wanted to learn about the disabilities that exist. Some first years were especially interested in learning sign language to combat

the barrier between deaf people and people who aren’t deaf.” Stephanie talks about how the AutoCircle Spectrum Society can help its members and discusses how different disorders and disabilities can affect people’s lives. “This academic year, Auto-Circle Spectrum Society has managed to create links with the Additional Student Support & Inclusion Services Team (ASSIST) and the Special Education Needs (SEN) department. These links help provide support and information to all members of the society and non-members. “Not only that but, during society meetings, I research into the many disabilities that exist and how each one can affect people’s lives and pass that information on through my society. I believe it’s important

for students to be educated in the variety of disabilities that exist but also educated so they can get the help they could receive from the university if they are disabled or struggling to cope with a learning disability.” Anushka Vinales, a third-year Geography student at the University of Northampton commented: “For my dissertation I’m investigating how different environments can affect students with learning difficulties. I found that the majority of students find one-to-one ASSIST sessions useful. Therefore, it’s important that students with learning disabilities are able to access the help they need from the facilities available at their university.” The society’s Facebook page can be found at: facebook.com/autocirclesspectrum

All photos courtesy of Stephanie Nixon

uto-Circle Spectrum Society at the University of Northampton uses crafts to raise awareness of disabilities around Avenue and Park campuses.

Inspirational stories

Being dependent on your craft income: Laura Slade tells us how it is achieved

aura Slade, a want-tobe professional artist, is dependent on the money from commissions and her parttime job.

As an artist, Laura decided to do a fine art degree at the University of Northampton, but soon left after finding out that the course was not for her. Instead she has decided to become financially independent by means of painting commissions and her part-time job even though she has a 3 year-old daughter.

“At the beginning of the year I decided to apply for Fine Art. I had always thought against it, believing I would be forced in directions I didn’t want to go in. To an extent, this was true, although it opened my eyes to new ways of creating art. I left with an aim that I didn’t require a degree. “I couldn’t currently live off the income I make from my craft. I have a part-time job to supplement my income but I aspire to make it my sole income later on in life.” Despite this, Laura has learnt to

work around the home commitments. She has to take care of her daughter and uses every moment of her spare time to further her craft. Laura commented: “Pretty much all my spare time is taken up by painting. I try to do it when my daughter is in school (2.5 hours) then when she goes to bed (another 2.5 hours or more). So, on a day-to-day basis, I balance my artwork alongside looking after my 3 year-old daughter and my part-time job.” Laura started as an artist working in a small independent cafe in Newport Pagnell, where her boss encouraged her to put some of her art on the wall. After a while, she gathered a small collection and a few months later her paintings started to sell. “I was over the moon that people wanted to buy my work. It was such a confidence boost to sell a painting, and from there I started to get commissions too.” Laura admits that she does struggle but uses the support she gets from her family. “I believe that hard work, passion and drive (with a little good fortune) will get me to where I want to be: a professional artist.” Laura Slade has her Facebook page to showcase her work: facebook.com/LauraSladeArt

Photo of Laura courtesy of Laura Slade

Laura Slade, ex-Fine Art student

Crafts in your area ‘I go to B&Q and Aldi for cheap craft supplies’

hristina Elvin, a Northampton-based avid knitter, admits to shopping in B&Q and Aldi stores for craft supplies.

Having started to knit when she was seven years old and then picked it up again in 2010, Christina says she mainly used patterns on the internet. “It was hard at first, just learning off the internet, but once I got the basics and could do the basic patterns, I started changing patterns I would find online for free into something different.” For example, Christina would make a baby’s cot out of yarn that turns into a young girl’s bag, which is ideal for carrying her dolls in. As Christina became more confident with knitting, she started to use different materials

from a range of shops to create the handles for her handbags. “I went into Hobbycraft and saw handles for £4 for a pair,

but found that online on eBay they were just £1.99.” For Christina, this was still quite expensive, so she became inventive. She made some of the handles for her handbags with B&Q materials. “I brought plastic tubing from B&Q and threaded some yarn through it to make several handles for handbags. It was much cheaper than buying pre-made handles. I even buy materials from Aldi to re-use in my crafting.” Christina has always strongly believed in recycling. She recycles old silk pyjamas, trousers and jackets to re-use for lining her handbags and e-reader covers. She also uses strips from old t-shirts (using 3 or 4) and knits them together to create handbags. “It’s important to recycle items of clothing that you never wear as a fellow ‘crafter’. This saves money on buying materials that are already available to you in your closet.” The clothes she recycled were simply items that she wore years ago while on holiday and grew out of.

“The idea is to simply never throw anything away. You can even recycle old kitchen rolls in knitting by using the cardboard tube as a weight at the bottom of the bag.” Christina is now retired, which allows her to spend most of her time knitting for the health benefits and doing volunteer work. “Knitting can help you combat arthritis and helps keep your mind active when watching television or a movie. It’s something I do without even thinking about.” For her craft, Christina uses many materials: lace, wool, polyester, acrylic, fizz and different kinds of yarn, including eyelash and scarf. She saves money on all of these materials by buying them abroad. “In the UK, wool is so expensive that I bought mine abroad from New Zealand. It is a lot cheaper there.” Christina’s website shows more examples of her creative knitting designs. Check it out at: www.emofree.biz/Chrissy-Ann/ Why not check out pages 20 and 21 for a ‘How to...’ article on crafting on a budget. If this doesn’t tickle your fancy, then you can try pages 30 and 31 with Handicraft’s own tricks and tips article.

Investigative stories

Are handmade products Many products claim to be handmade, but Nikki White investigates whether these could possibly be manufactured on a mass scale instead of being crafted by hand.

any products claim to be handmade, when they are not, for the profit that can be gained from selling them.

Buying a handmade product is buying something unique and supporting someone’s business. Abi Jackson, owner of The Stitch and Make Studio in Northampton, argues. “Handmade products have a certain appeal because people wish to buy into the ‘story’ behind the product; people they may have met and those who want to support their business.” The appeal of a ‘handmade’ label attached to the clothing increases its desirability: Abi explains that it’s all because people are very aware of the provenance of products. “Products that are handmade are more sought after, this is because of their ‘organic’ label or traceability, and this gives people a more authentic product or experience.” Yet, it’s not all good news to local craft artists, as Abi explains. “Stores like Hobbycraft take this onboard and sell themselves as a shop for handmade products when, in fact, the products are mass-produced in China.” The exact same thing is happening to online

Abi Jackson commented: “It’s all about making a profit. Manufacturers make certain products and call them handmade when they are not to sell them for more money. According to Abi, a market confusion arises as a result of such dubious trading standards. This seriously undermines the trust that consumers have in sellers, who expect labels to tell whether a product is handmade or not, when it is difficult to tell simply by looking at it. Abi explains: “For example, people can guarantee clothing is always handmade, as it is the sewing two layers of fabric together, or food products are

Abi Jackson with a Kimono jacket she created

stores. Etzy, for example, has recently changed its policy so that sellers can manufacture products that can be then sold on by a third party. This will make it more difficult for customers to tell which product is handmade and which one is not. But, the price tag will be as if the product is handmade. Threads Abi Jackson has collected

Investigative stories

genuinely hand crafted? developed by hand, but ambiguity. Simon explains, for other items it is “Top-end car harder to tell.” manufacturers also play the Professor Simon game to some extent, such as BurtonshawRolls Royce, Bentley etc., Gunn PhD, but really only some parts Head of are actually handmade, Division: such as stitching on Business, seats or the specialist Leadership wood working, and whilst the rest is A handmade skirt created by Abi Jackson Finance still manufactured of Northampton Business School using machinery (in part to allow at the University of Northampton, replacements otherwise the cost of an commented: “I think that there is accident will be even higher as body probably not a definition of what panels will have to be specially made constitutes handmade, as this may to fit).” vary between products and, although Sarah Peters and Sharon some companies may use this to their Morgan, managers at a local advantage, they must also be aware of Northampton craft shop, Made trade description legislation, which in Northamptonshire, believe in the main would prevent wild that companies that incorporate a accusations of goods being termed handmade visage when the products handmade when they were not.” they sell are actually manufactured, Thus, products can’t be casually devalue other shops that sell labeled as handcrafted when it is handmade items. obvious they are not. Sarah commented: “It takes away Simon gives examples of from other shops, like ours, that handcrafted products that do not support a non-profit social enterprise tend to cause confusion on the (Action Support) market: “The term ‘handmade’ is which tries to often used to suggest a bespoke or get disabled special quality product, the most people back obvious is handmade jewellery into work which needs specialist skills and, as by giving such, cannot really be anything else them work than handmade. Also, expensive experience shotguns and, at the cheaper end but still using the term ‘handmade’ as a sign of quality are, chocolate manufacturers where some are sold is smalls specialist outlets and others in premier London stores, such as Harrods, Fortnum and Mason.” And so, Abi’s handcrafted clothes wouldn’t normally make people question the products’ provenance. However, other market sectors offer more

Handmade items in Made in Northamptonshire

opportunities” Sharon added: “The quality of a product is lost when it is mass produced. When an item is handmade, a lot more time and care is invested in it.” This is all changing and people are being more careful about the products they buy, due to more online shops being created. Sharon explains: “There is more variety out there in shopping, the expansion of this means that the public are more careful when buying a product that is marketed as handmade.”

Left to Right: Sarah Peters and Sharon Morgan

Made in Northamptonshire 39 Giles Street, NN1 1JF Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10am -4pm Saturday 9.30am -4.30pm Closed Sunday

Made in Northamptonshire is a shop that is supported by Action Support, a nonprofit enterprise that seeks to give disabled people work experience opportunities.

17 The art of writing: should it be considered a craft or not? Should writing be considered a form of craft and to what extent? Nikki White interviews the University of Northampton graduates in Creative Writing and Journalism. to find out.

From my own experience, writing a novel is a craft in that it results in a product that ideally has some artistic merit and involved time and the application of various skills to complete. I like the use of the word to describe writing, especially novel-length work, because it doesn’t set a criteria for achievement beyond the process – it doesn’t focus on the result so much as the journey. Michael-Israel Jarvis, author/writer

You generally write for a purpose, to either create, or to get your views across, or more often both at the same time. Writing is about more than correct language; you need to somehow engage with your audience, otherwise you’re more likely to bore them. Writing really ends up taking something of a personality, that of its writer because they have limitless control over what they create.

Joseph Parsonage BA in Creative Writing

To craft an item is a process. Writing is incredibly similar. You begin with an idea of a plot, then create believable and interesting characters as well as an enticing setting. There’s a lot of editing involved to polish up those characters and events as well as a final check. Both involve different, but deep amounts of technical skill to complete their products which is the definition of any craft. Jamie Ruck BA in Creative Writing

No, I don’t view writing as a craft. In journalism writing is very much about telling a story in a certain format, but it’s more about informing the public of events than anything else. The definition of the word ‘craft’ actually seems to imply that crafting should be much more of a physically demanding task than typing on a keyboard or writing with a pen - i.e. knitting, sewing or carpentry.

Stephen Frost, MA in Journalism & Communications

Photo of Micheal-Jarvis courtesy of Micheal-Israel Jarvis; photo of Joseph courtesy of Joseph Parsonage; photo of Jamie courtesy of Jamie Ruck and photo of Stephen courtesy of Stephen Frost

Investigative stories

How to

...

How to boost your online craft business

ost of craft businesses are run from home. Even if yours isn’t, it is hard to sell your hand-crafted products without some sort of advertising. In the modern age, there is now a much easier way to allow large audiences access to your products: the internet.

Adam Niazi, an Accounting and Finance student at the University of Northampton and founder and CEO of StartSmarter, tells us exclusively how to boost your online craft business.

Websites Adam has experienced running four different businesses and finds that the most important tool is having effective communication between you and your customers. “Websites allow you to feature your products in an attractive way, but they also grant an effective medium for solving any problems with your customers too.” Adam

advises to only advertise one product or craft service on the home page of your website. “When customers visit your website they want a specific craft product or service, but if you confuse them by advertising everything you have to offer just on your homepage - then your customers may try another crafter who has a simpler layout to their website.” Simply put, your website should focus on your potential customers and what they want. Try setting up a free website on wix.com.

Credibility As a crafter, your reputation should be very important to you. It will define how many people will choose your service instead of someone else’s. “It’s all about trust. Get a few customers to give you feedback. If it’s negative, then ask what you could improve and work on it. Testimonials are invaluable to people in the craft world, as they define their products as durable, of a certain

How to standard and quality and show other customers that you are the best person for what they want.” You can also do this by outlining how much experience you have in your craft or any other background information that helps the customer trust you. Don’t even be afraid to do a little profile on yourself, but keep it short and sweet.

...

Imagery Crafting is a very visual business; how will you sell a bracelet or a cross-stitch if your customer can’t see the product? Customers usually won’t buy any craft product without seeing it first - they want to know the colours, the condition and the quality. So the use of images in craft business should be unavoidable. Don’t be put off by this - you don’t need a professional camera or Photoshop to take pictures of your crafting. “Images are very helpful to a customer when choosing which knitted scarf or handbag they want. Be careful though, on a website you can go overboard (unless they are on a catalogue-type webpage). Just give a few examples of your craft - there’s no shame in putting only the best and most attractive ones up.”

Social networking Joining the social networking bandwagon is hard for some crafters; even though Facebook has existed for 10 years, there are still people who don’t participate. Don’t be afraid. Social networking is there to help you advertise your business. Even though it does offer some paid options, you can easily create a page (mini one page website) on Facebook for free. “I use Facebook’s page feature for StartSmarter and my new business venture Business Creator. Every week I get an email about the number of people talking about my business and visiting it. This is all for free.

Adam Niazi, final year student at the University of Northampton

“You can even get customers to write testimonials on your business page; if they are bad - don’t worry. Reply and sort the problem. Don’t be afraid to show people that you are not perfect but can still efficiently deal with any problems.” Besides Facebook, there are other social networking sites, like Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn or Formspring, to name a few prominent ones. Not every social networking site is for you, though. Facebook is generally best for crafts. Unlike Twitter, it allows you to upload pictures of your products in an album. This is similar to what Google+ offers, but there are twice the amount of registered users on Facebook. LinkedIn is more of a professional social network that would appeal to those who offer a craft service rather than products (a craft repair service or similar).

‘Checkout’

The most effective time you can spend on boosting your business is refining the ‘checkout’ stage. “A fast, secure and easy checkout is the most important aspect of buying your craft. You want to make sure the customer understands how much they are paying, where to input their payment details and confirmation that the money has been received. If you can achieve all of these, then you will find customers coming back to you for their craft products. This is because they would be confident in the service that takes them from basket to checkout.” If you are unsure how to do this, why not take a free online course in website programming at www. coursera.org or use Facebook’s messaging service and Paypal, a website that allows you to request money for your goods or services, to do this. Laura Slade on page 11 uses this exact method to get payment on Facebook after she has done a painting commission for a customer.

How to

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How to craft on a small budget of only £10

rafting on a budget is upsetting. Let’s face it, we would all rather have the money to buy those expensive and flashy tools or materials for our craft. But crafting on a budget doesn’t have to be a bad thing - it can simply just be a way of getting the practical and necessary stuff for your craft that is affordable.

Cheap can be practical

on’t be afraid to buy very cheap items; they can turn out to be more durable than expensive items. Why buy an expensive zip for those trousers you are sewing? It’s sometimes not worth it. Yet, when buying cheap materials, be careful to check what you are actually buying - it may be less attractive or not the colour you wanted, but if it’s used to line a bag or something similar - ask yourself, who will see it?

Only buy what you use

ometimes the item you want in the shop is more expensive than online, but at other times you may find the only way to save money online is to bulk buy. My advice is don’t buy more than you will use. If those three balls of yarn you wish to buy cost £4 in a shop, but you get six balls of the same yarn for £6 online you will save money. But think differently, if you are only going to use three balls, then you won’t be saving money at all. Instead you will be spending £2 extra on three more balls of yarn that you will not use and you do not need.

- recycling and reusing is one of the many ways in which she crafts on a budget. This is harder to do for crafting jewellery and other crafts that use more expensive materials, but it can be done. Jo Southall (pages 4 to 5) re-uses some of the beads from jewellery she has created but doesn’t wear for commission-based items. For paper craft, why not use recycled paper? Even if you are a crossstitch based crafter, there is always room for re-using and recycling.

Buying online

Re-use, recycle

emember Christina Elvin on pages 12 and 13? If you don’t, go and check out her story. But for those of you who do

nternet, eBay and Amazon: there is such a huge online shopping market where you can buy objects and materials and get it delivered to you without leaving the comfort for your home. But, more often than not, this can be more costly (although visiting the shops can be more

Photo of zip courtesy of Isobel T, Creative Commons Licence; photo of beads/jewellery courtesy of Mauro Cateb, Creative Commons Licence.

Low on money and fed up with your craft materials being very expensive? Look no further, Nikki White tells you the secrets to crafting on a small budget of £10.

time consuming). If you are buying online, be careful of the postage and packaging cost which most of the time can take up the majority of £10, depending on what you are buying. Yarn from Amazon usually comes with postage and packaging costs of around £4. But, some sellers offer free postage and this is where you can find some serious bargains. Be aware that Amazon has changed its policy so that any item under £10 is an ‘add-on’ item - you need to have a checkout price of over £10 for Amazon to post your goods to you.

...

might go to obscure shops, like Aldi for yarn materials and B&Q for all types of materials, just to name two. The high street isn’t always the best place to look, as shops expect you not to go out of your way for cheaper items, so in a sense at the high street you are paying for the convenience.

raft shops can be expensive, but spending the extra pennies on security (i.e. you are sure of exactly what you are buying) and quality depends on the crafter. All crafters wish to be certain that their products are of good quality and durable for the buyer. This, in turn, increases the crafter’s reputation. However, how crafters will go about this differently. Some will head straight for the craft shop and not look anywhere else on the high street, other crafters will try to look around and get the best price. A handful of crafters

while for the pennies to mount up.

Vouchers and offers

M Saving the pennies

Buying in a shop

hen you come to the till and you have less than 5p change, don’t tell the shop assistant to keep it. Scraping the pennies can seem daunting, but sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures. You might think that you will never spend it, but you will. The University of Northampton art store sells plastic wallets for 5p. As a crafter this could protect your craft designs, cross-stitch or paper craft from dust and dirt, or you could use it in your craft to create a pocket. I, personally, knit handbags and stick plastic wallets in between the knit and the lining for protection and to make the handbag waterproof. So, store those pennies away in a secure pot or jar and start your own saving scheme for your hobby or business. Don’t be discouraged but it may take a

any crafters would never pass up a voucher or an offer. How many of you knitters would say no to a 4 for 3 sale on yarn at Hobbycraft? An offer is always enticing and it’s hard to stop yourself from getting out your card or cash. Some offers are really helpful, however the majority of offers are there to simply get you to buy more. The same goes for vouchers. In some cases, it’s just not the right vouchers or deal for your craft or for you personally. A voucher should be money off on an item that you were already going to buy; the exact thing should apply when you come across deals. Ask yourself if you need it for your hobby or business; if you don’t move on. If you do, try to get the best coupon that you can get your hands on or the best deal.

£1off your next

issue of Handicraft Participating stores only. Offer ends on 1/08/14. Offer only applies to the summer issue 2014 of Handicraft. Limit to one coupon per customer per day. Coupon must be presented and surrendered at time of purchase. No repreductions. Not valid online. This coupon has no cash value. Limited to avalibilty of stock. Handicraft is not responsible for stolen or lost coupons.

Photo of person online shopping courtesy of Keith Williamson, Creative Commons Licence; photo of Abington Street courtesy of John Sutton, Creative Commons Licence; photo of penny jar courtesy of Tom Small, Creative Commons Licence.

How to

Upcoming Events

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on in the craft world? Been thinking about going to a craft event recently or in the near future or do you simply want to see what is out there in the craft world? Look no further, Nikki White gives you an overview of the biggest craft events going on around the UK.

Ongoing exhibitions Sound Matters Sound Matters is a multi-sensory exhibition held by the Crafts Council, displaying objects that look at the possible connection between sound and craft. When: Ends on the 24th of May 2014 Where: Smiths Row Gallery, Suffolk, IP33 1BT Time: Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30am to 5pm Cost: Free admission

www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/view/sound-matters-201308301346-5220a22dd3415/

Atmosphere Atmosphere is a ceramic exhibition of porcelain vessels, installed by De Waal in response to the space, light and architecture of Sunley Gallery. When: Ends on the 12th of Feb 2015 Where: Turner Contemporary, Margate, CT9 1HG Time: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm Cost: Free admission

Things We Do in Bed Things We Do in Bed is a quilting exhibition by Tracy Chevalier, who focuses on five themes: birth; sleep; sex; illness and death and explores how quilts have been transformed into a medium of art. When: Ends on the 31st of Oct 2014 Where: Danson House, Bexleyheath, DA6 8HL Time: Sunday to Thursday, 12pm to 5pm Cost: Free with admission to Danson House

www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/view/things-we-do-in-bed/

Photos and information courtsey of Crafts Council.

www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/view/edmund-de-waal-atmosphere/overview

Upcoming Events

Upcoming craft events Hidden Agenda Hidden Agenda presents works by makers and designers who use craft as a platform for social comment and provocation, exploring issues such as environmental responsibility, war, class and work. When: 22nd March to the 1st June, 2014 Where: The Granary Gallery, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1HJ Time: Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm Cost: Free admission

www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/view/hidden-agenda-socially-conscious-craft/overview

Real to Reel Real to Reel presents makers’ films that are a final product of their practice; artworks in their own right. When: 10th of May to 13 July, 2014 Where: National Centre for Craft & Design, Sleaford, NG34 7TW Time: Every day, 10am to 5pm Cost: Free admission www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/view/real-to-reel/overview

COLLECT 2014 brings together the world’s finest galleries representing exceptional work of museum-quality from their portfolio of artists. When: 9th May to 12th May, 2014 Where: Saatchi Gallery, London, SW3 4RY Time: To be confirmed Cost: To be confirmed

www.craftscouncil.org.uk/whats-on/view/collect-2014/overview

Craft & Design Show Craft & Design Show is a craft day out that includes workshops, a gallery, live music and exhibitors which you can buy from if you are interested. When: 3rd May to 5th May, 2014 Where: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, TN11 8DG Time: Every day, 9.30am to 5.30pm Cost: Adults £5.50 in advance or £7.50 on door, Seniors £4.50 in advance or £6.50 on door. www.thecraftshows.co.uk/kent/spring/

Photos and information courtesy of Crafts Council and ICHF craft shows respectively.

COLLECT 2014

Beginner’s guide

A starting guide on how to knit Knitting is in fashion again, but have you ever wondered how to knit your own creations? Lidia Stanton shows us beginners how to knit using the basic knitting stitch (if you are lefthanded, try to hold the needles the other way around).

How to cast on and start your knit Starting your knit is about creating the loops that will form the shape and width of your knit. For now, let’s start with knitting a basic square (do not panic, you can unravel the knit and re-use the yarn). Recipe for a square knit

. An aran yarn . Knitting needles . 10 (w) x 10 (l) stitches . A little bit of patience

For this knit, guide Sirdar Snuggly aran yarn (aqua colour) was used with 6mm needles. Depending on what yarn you buy, you may have to use different sized needles (please check the label for this information).

To start off, get three arms’ length of yarn and double it over so that you have one thread that ends and the other which is from the yarn ball. Then hold both needles together, as shown, in your right hand and then thread

around your left hand. Put the short end around your thumb and the thread that leads to the yarn ball around your pointing finger. Then create a loop around the two needles, twisting it anticlockwise underneath.

Keeping the yarn where it is, place the two needles underneath the thread closest to you (on your thumb) and create a loop around the needles. Then, place the needles over, then under, the pointing finger loop (on the left-hand side). Drop the loop

around the thumb and pull both threads gently (but not the loop you have just dropped, as that will only unravel the knitting stitch). Keep practising this procedure, without creating the twist knot. You only need this to begin with, not for every stitch.

After doing 10 of the stitches you can take one of the needles out (doesn’t matter which one) and you should have something that looks like the above (the picture has 16 stitches not 10, but feel free to keep practising after 10).

Beginner’s guide Try and hold your knit like this.

Now, carrying on from casting on, you now get the needle that you took out to form the stitches (the one without the loops on it) and place it on the left side of your needle through the first stitch, keeping the continuous thread

Time to add rows onto your knit... Now that you have the first row of stitches that will form the start of your knit, you can start to add more rows to your knit. Remember that the number of stitches you add onto your first row will determine the width of your knit and the number of rows will determine the length of your knit.

on your left hand pointing finger. Then, place the loop created around your pointing finger onto the top of the needle that you have pushed through the stitch and pull it back through towards the right. Or, if it is easier, you can

push the needle through the right hand side of the needle and repeat the same procedure just on the other side of the needle. This will create a loop on the other needle and you can drop the stitch off the needle that you pulled the loop through.

How to cast off and finish your knit When you come to the end of your knit, you will want to make sure it doesn’t unravel. Check that you have enough yarn left to cast off. If you don’t, then try unravelling the previous row to practise ending your knit. If you end your knit too tightly and don’t have enough yarn, it will show in the final product.

If you continue to do this, switching needles around as you go along, you will eventually get 10 rows. You can keep counting as you go along or, if you want more practice then you can keep going until your ball of yarn runs out. You should have something that resembles the above picture. Don’t worry and don’t be discouraged if yours is not as neat as the picture above, it takes time to learn to knit neatly. Lidia took six knitting projects (or six balls of yarn) to learn to knit as she does now.

To finish your knit off so that it doesn’t unravel, you will need to ‘cast off’. To do this, you will need to practise the same procedure as adding rows to your knit, except this time it is slightly different. Thread your needle through the left or right hand side of the needle and

through the first two stitches. Now, knit two stitches as if they were one stitch. Then you will have one loop on your other needle. Place this back onto the needle with all the stitches on it and knit the next two stitches (so you are reknitting the loop you’ve made).

Beginner’s guide

Keep following this procedure, being careful not to drop any loops. If you do drop any loops, carefully work your way back through casting off and knit them on. If you leave any unknitted loops when casting off, your work may become

easy to unravel. The pattern that you should get in casting off is shown in the above picture. If yours doesn’t look like this, then try and unravel your casting off carefully (making sure you pick up all the stitches) and try again.

Once you are sure that your cast off is similar to the one shown, you can keep going until you have finished (you should get an even amount of stitches. Then you will have a thread coming out of your knit, knot it and then cut it off.

Knitting advice for beginners

Store your yarn in a dry, safe and clean place. Otherwise, it will gather dust and dirt. Be careful as some yarns you may not be able to wash.

When buying yarn, check the description which is either found on the label or in the information that should come with it.

Don’t put anything heavy on top of your yarns and needles. Your needles can easily snap as they are fragile.

Always check eBay, Amazon or other online shops (like Etsy) for the best deal on yarn. Be careful of postage costs, though. When knitting, try to keep an arms’ length of yarn unravelled for use. This is so your knitting doesn’t become too tight.

Practice and patience makes all the difference when knitting. If you are a beginner, then take your time as you knit.

Carrying on from above, never buy anything yarn related you are unsure about what it is made out of.

Always double check the label for the size of needle it requires.

If you are a beginner, try shorter needles rather than longer ones as they are easier to hold.

Try to knit as you buy. In other words, don’t buy too much yarn or it could become overwhelming.

Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; corner Make your own cowboy hat Why not make this makeshift origami cowboy hat with your kids or maybe your nephew or niece? Maybe you want to make it for practice in paper craft instead? Nikki White illustrates and explains how to make a cowboy hat out of a small square piece of paper.

Start off with a 15 x 15cm square piece of paper. You can buy special origami paper on the internet or in craft shops, or you can cut an A4 piece of paper. Then carefully fold this diagonally, as shown above. After this, you should end up with a triangle shape, shown in Stage B. Then fold point 1 over to meet point 2. This is to simply just make a crease in the triangle, so you will need to unfold this.

Moving onto Stage E, there will be two separate pieces of paper that form the top triangle that will require to be folded. Take the front piece of paper of the top and fold it to point 2. This leaves the other piece of paper at the top, for the moment.

Moving on to Stage C, just like before, you will need to fold point 1 to point 2, the latter being the end of the crease you have just made in Stage B. Once you have done this, you should have something resembling the drawing in Stage D. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, you can always retry. Once you have this, you can fold point 1 to point 2, tucking in the corner of the triangle on the other side to sit on top, as shown below.

Kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; corner

Now turn over the origami to face the back of it. Fold point 1 to point 2. In other words, fold the other top triangle over the back. Then flip this over and rotate it 180 degrees so the bottom is at the top. You should have something resembling the drawing in Stage F now. Now fold this in half, creating a crease in the origami and then unfold once this is done. Then rotate your paper craft 180 degrees and open it up by gently pushing at the sides. After this, flatten it on its side, as shown in Stage I (doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter which side). Then fold the top down towards the bottom on both sides and then turn it 180 degrees for the final time. Moving on to Stage L, gently pull down the outside flaps (make sure to leave the inside ones alone). You should have your own cowboy hat (see Stage L).

Tips & Tricks

Helpful pointers for crafters All crafters are after those tips and tricks to make their trade more cost-effective and efficient, but have you ever thought of just making your craft tools and materials last longer? Nikki White presents five inspiring pointers on how to re-vamp the old, instead of spending more money on buying brand new.

Sharpen your craft scissors so they last longer Did you buy those special craft scissors that cost a lot of money? Even if you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a sure tip for crafters to sharpen your scissors using sandpaper. Sandpaper can be found at very affordable price in B&Q stores, eBay or Amazon, and a piece of sandpaper will last you a very long time.

Why not store you markers horizontally? Sharpie pens can be incredibly expensive; some stores (like WHSmith) charge ÂŁ9 for a pack of 3 black ink permanent markers. If you got some spare markers, a tip to make the ink last longer is to store them horizontally in a box.

Tips & Tricks

Re-use your magazines for papercrafting Want to practise your paper craft but fed up with buying origami paper? Why not re-use magazines you have? Don’t panic if you don’t have any, you can do it with any free newspapers or magazines that you can find. Try this by making a cowboy hat (instructions are on pages 28-29).

Be prepared to unravel that knit you never used Knitted a hat, scarf or gloves but never used it? You could unravel the knit to create something you would be more likely to use, for example - a tablet or mobile phone cover to protect it from scratches. Why buy more when you can simply re-use yarn?

Always do your craft designs in pencil It’s always best to do that initial craft design in pencil; you can’t rub out pen (or even the pens you can rub out don’t work as well as pencil does). If you do decide to draw it out in pencil, you can still see if it will work or if it won’t work as a craft design.